Title page for ETD etd-07012009-150925

The Agricultural Industry as Percieved By Members of the General Public of Louisiana

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Department

Human Resource Education Workforce Development

Advisory Committee

Advisor Name

Title

Michael F. Burnett

Committee Chair

Krisanna L. Machtmes

Committee Member

Michael E. Salassi

Committee Member

Paul W. Wilson

Committee Member

Satish Verma

Committee Member

Keywords

agricultural literacy

agriculture

knowledge

perception

Date of Defense

2009-06-01

Availability

unrestricted

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the knowledge and perceptions of the animal, plant, environmental, and food sciences by the adult residents of Louisiana. This study was conducted using a survey research design. This survey utilized random telephone dialing techniques in order to survey 547 residents of Louisiana. The survey instrument consisted of fifty-five questions divided into three sections: demographic characteristics, agriculture knowledge, and perception of agriculture.

The overall mean agriculture knowledge score of adult residents of Louisiana for the twenty items included in the survey instrument equaled 13.60 (SD = 2.743) or 68%. Perceptions of agriculture results reported nine items classified in the “agree” category, six were classified “neither agree nor disagree” category, and five were classified “disagree”. Adult members of the general public of Louisiana have more positive perceptions of agriculture with regard to the “Attitude toward Farming” (M= 3.81, SD= .73) and “Issues Related to Food Supply” (M= 3.72, SD= .49). Eighteen significant correlations were reported between the knowledge and perception concept areas.

It is concluded that adult members of the general public of Louisiana have a moderately high level of knowledge with regard to agriculture. Adult respondents have the highest levels of knowledge in the Environmental Science. The perception concept areas “Attitude toward Farming” and “Issues Related to Food Supply” are more positive, while the perception concept areas “Farming Practices” and “Food Prices” are both ambivalent. Due to the reported relationship, an increase in agricultural knowledge may result in a more positive increase in perceptions of agriculture. The researcher recommends continuation and expansion in mass media promotion such as billboards, television ads, newspaper articles, web postings, use of “YouTube”, blog sites, and group networking sites. Similarly, the researcher encourages the promotion of “agritourism” endeavors, allowing perceptions to be made based on personal experiences. The researcher further recommends increasing publication of classroom agriculture education materials designed to reach various audiences and expansion to distribute materials to more educators at the school level. The researcher recommends continuation of universal agriculture educational programming such as FFA, 4-H, and general agriculture in university curricula.